It has long been known to tow a utility trailer behind a vehicle so as to allow one to haul loads of material that may be too large or otherwise ill-suited to be transported in the vehicle itself. For many individuals a small, compact trailer is desired since it may be effectively utilized for most any anticipatable application yet may be conveniently stored in a minimum amount of space when not in use. Examples of compact utility trailers of the type being described are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,918 to Strader; U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,096 to Lewis et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,568 to Campbell.
While utility trailer designs such as set forth in these patents are generally effective for their intended purposes overall improvements in design are still possible. For example, it is desirable to reduce the overall weight of the trailer while still maintaining a relatively high payload capacity. In this way full advantage is taken of the trailer's utility while handling convenience and ease of trailer manipulation during use and storage are enhanced. It is also desirable to increase the versatility of the trailer so that it is particularly well suited to handle various types of payloads including but not limited to (1) containers such as luggage, cartons, bags and boxes, (2) aggregates such as gravel, sand, mulch and other gardening supplies and materials and (3) relatively delicate items that cannot be stacked without risk of damage such as glassware, various types of artwork, certain food products and the like. Additionally, it is desirable to provide a trailer designed to furnish the utmost utility and ride stability that is also relatively simple and economical to manufacture. Only in this way is it possible to meet the needs and budgets of most consumers and thereby bring the benefits of trailer ownership to a larger segment of the population.